LEINSTER SHC SEMI-FINAL (replay)
Wexford v Dublin Tomorrow, 3.50pm Croke Park:IT'S A mug's game giving the skinny on the rerun of a drawn match of such dubious quality. Take a gander at last week's jousting and the first half tells you that this Wexford team couldn't fight their way out of a sodden paper bag even if they pepped up on steroids for a year.
The second half tells you with just as much certainty that this Dublin team couldn't put a wounded cat out of its misery let alone put a game away.
What was the problem? Maybe that the consequences of losing are so high but the reward for winning so low. If Wexford lose to Dublin the achievement will be hailed as the nadir of the post-Liam Griffin era.
If Dublin lose to Wexford the very health and vigour of the revolution will be called into question.
Whichever side wins gets whacked by Kilkenny.
As a preference they would like to draw forever like characters in a magic realist novel, two teams hovering eternally over a threshold.
Still here? The smart money says Wexford, having survived and had enough momentum to have snatched the game, may feel more at home in Croke Park and should finish the job.
Hmmm. Hard to know. Dublin played the better hurling last week and for a while (say 40 minutes) with the wing backs and Simon Lambert scudding nice, low ball into the corner forwards it looked as if David O'Callaghan and Ross O'Carroll would have enough about them to win the game as a tandem.
WEXFORD: D Fitzhenry; M Travers, K Rossiter, P Roche; M Jacob, D O'Connor, D Stamp; MJ Furlong, C Farrell; PJ Nolan, E Quigley, D Lyng; D Redmond, S Banville, R Jacob.
DUBLIN: G Maguire; N Corcoran, S Hiney, T Brady; M Carton, R Fallon, J Boland; J McCaffrey, S Lambert; J Burke, D O'Dwyer, K Flynn; D O'Callaghan, J Kelly, R O'Carroll.
Guidelines
In the last episode: Dublin, who have beaten Wexford just once since their last All-Ireland final appearance i1961, looked good value to nail down a win at half-time last Saturday by which time Wexford had failed to score a point from play. Wexford energised themselves for the second half and Dublin's convictions ebbed. A draw was fair and a second championship outing might help when it comes to the winners facing Kilkenny in the Leinster final.
On your marks: Dublin's midfield did well for most of the game last week but their fade-out contributed to their side's decline. The loss of Alan McCrabbe is felt in the 20-man game. Wexford are unlikely to have MJ Furlong available to start after he sustained injury last week.
You bet: Punters and the accountants of the turf seem as befuddled as this previewer and both teams are evens or thereabouts.
Gaining ground: Wexford have more Croke Park experience than Dublin and, were it not for the football needing to be accommodated, Dublin would have preferred to play at Parnell Park.
Just the ticket: Tickets available from usual GAA sources and from "ticket sales points" around the ground tomorrow
Crystal gazing: A big day in the lives of both sides even if it is a sideshow in terms of the destination of the provincial title. Dublin have the greater hunger and having glimpsed the glory last week should just shade it tomorrow.
